Double Dealing (2013) by Linda Cajio Page A

appropriated the bottom bunk he’d used the night before. The young boy was snuggled down under the quilt, sound asleep. He grinned at Mark and Randall who were sleeping in the two top bunks. Michael had probably lost the choice spots to his older brothers. After checking to make sure the tarantula hadn’t been let loose, Jed stripped off his clothes and crawled into the last available bed beneath Randall.
    Burrows was right, he thought. The boys had been enthusiastic about the treasure hunt, and he was exhausted. They’d dragged him all over that damn park in a wild haphazard search for gold and jewels, and Rae had been worse than her nephews. He managed a weary smile as he rememberedhow she’d climbed trees and pointed out likely spots for a pirates’ trove. The boys obviously adored their aunt. So did he. She’d been like a sprite, full of imagination and mischief, and more than ever like the Rae he remembered. When they all returned to the car to come back home, he noticed a smudge of dirt on her cheek and that she’d broken three nails, but she didn’t even seem to care. She’d hardly acted with the elegant coolness she’d shown the night before. Yet he found her even more beautiful. Her cheeks had been pink from the cool air, and her eyes shining with fun. It had taken an enormous amount of control to keep his distance from her all afternoon.
    Once, though, he had seen her lose her joyful expression. They had penetrated the dense woods to the riverbank directly opposite the estate. He’d been admiring the peaceful picture the stately red brick mansion and its gracious surroundings made, when he’d turned to find Rae gazing at him with accusing eyes.
    He knew now he was the one she didn’t trust—not with her home or her feelings. Her defenses might drop for a moment, but they always snapped back into place. The estate lay between them, an unsurmountable barrier. So far, he’d only managed to temporarily circumvent Henry from launching an all-out campaign for the property. There were many ways to put pressure on a reluctant seller, and Rae would be subjected to all of them unless he found some way to appease Henry.
    Trying to rid himself of his disturbing thoughts, he rolled over, immediately banging his knee intothe wall. He smothered a curse at the too small bed, and tried to ignore the fact that there was a much larger, less lonely one down the hall. He doubted if it held the welcome he wanted. Still, the thought teased and tantalized him as he finally drifted off to sleep.…
    He was in the middle of the park again, only it was covered with a frigid white mist. Naked, he ached from the cold as he trudged among the barely visible trees and bushes, his every movement causing him even more pain. He knew he was supposed to be looking for something, but he couldn’t remember what it was. Then a little girl stood before him. She began to grow until she turned into the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. She was wearing a garment that was a wisp of nothing, and her slender body moved with the grace of a goddess. A light breeze lifted her midnight hair from her shoulders, and her green-gray eyes promised him the love and comfort he’d been searching for. Clumsily, he moved forward and covered her mouth with his cold lips. Her soft flesh warmed his hands, and he touched her everywhere—breasts, belly, legs—until he found the heated core of her. The kiss turned hot with her passion, and her body writhed urgently against his. Blood pounded into his loins, driven by the sensual fire he knew only she could create. Suddenly, she vanished from his arms, and all the park’s trees turned into condominiums, surrounding him in their horrible prison. He tried to break free, but everywhere he turned another concrete building hemmed him in. The woman reappeared, floating inthe mist beyond his reach. He silently cried out to her. She was above him now, looking so sad. Then she bent her head toward him, her lips